hydrocarbon

noun

hy·​dro·​car·​bon ˈhī-drō-ˌkär-bən 

: an organic compound (such as acetylene or butane) containing only carbon and hydrogen and often occurring in petroleum, natural gas, coal, and bitumens

Examples of hydrocarbon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The talks come as Paz faces protests over his decision to scrap fuel subsidies in a country that once exported natural gas to its neighbors but now struggles with fuel shortages and declining hydrocarbon production. — ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Owned by Nord Stream AG, whose majority shareholder is the Russian gas firm Gazprom, the pipelines were divisive even before the start of the Ukraine war, mainly due to concerns over European reliance on cheap Russian hydrocarbons. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Read more For more than a century, hydrocarbons have sustained Trinidad and Tobago’s economy. — Panorama Media Ltd, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026

In Argentina, despite a burgeoning hydrocarbon sector, higher energy costs have renewed inflation concerns and created a headache for Milei, whose disapproval rating spiked to 63 percent in late April, up from 49 percent at the start of the year. — Dan Restrepo, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hydrocarbon

• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
• polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon

Rhymes for hydrocarbon

• fluorocarbon
• carbon
• radiocarbon

Kids Definition

hydrocarbon

noun

hy·​dro·​car·​bon ˌhī-drə-ˈkär-bən 

: a compound containing only carbon and hydrogen

Medical Definition

hydrocarbon

noun

hy·​dro·​car·​bon -ˈkär-bən 

: an organic compound (as acetylene, benzene, or butane) containing only carbon and hydrogen and often occurring in petroleum, natural gas, coal, and bitumens